Process for treating petroleum oil



g- 1932- 1.. c. HUFF PROCESS FOR TREATING PETROLEUM OIL Original Filed Jan. 9, 1926 7 2312 6 to? {5 1: (a? \1 Patented Aug. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES LYMAN C. HUFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR TREATTNG PETROLEUM OIL Application filed January 9, 1926, Serial No. 80,285. Renewed December 19, 1929.

This invention relates to an improved process for treating petroleum oil and more parwill neutralize the corrosive effect of the su 1- phurous and deleterious compounds contained'in the oil to be treated. As exemplary of such a chemical substance sodium hydroxide or ammonia may be employed.

In the drawing the single figure shows a view in side elevation and partly in section of an apparatus suitable for carrying out the process.

In carrying out the process the charging oil is supplied through the inlet line 1 from any suitable source of supply not shown to the charging pump 2. From the charging pump 2 the oil to be treated is forced through the line 3 either directly to the heating coil 4 or by a suitable manipulation of the valves 5 and 6, the oil may be charged in whole or in part to the dephlegmator 7. The oil is raised to a cracking temperature in the heating coil 4 positioned in a conventional side-fired furnace.

The heated oil passes from the coil 4 through the transfer line 8 controlled by suitable throttle and pressure control valve 9 to the insulated reaction chamber 10, in which the oil accumulates and wherein conversion takes place. The unvaporized residue collecting in the chamber 10 may be withdrawn either intermittently or continuously through any one of the lines 11 controlled by the valves 12. A plurality of these residue draw-ofl' lines 11 are provided and connected to the chamber 10 in vertically spaced relation to permit them to be successively brought into use as the coke deposits accumulate in the bottom of the reaction chamber 10.

The vapors evolved from the oil pass from the chamber 10 through the line 13 controlled by suitable throttle and pressure regulating valve 14; to the lower end of thedephlegmator 7 wherein the insufficiently cracked vapors or those vapors which are not of sufficiently low boiling point are condensed forming reflux condensate. This reflux condensate passes from the reflux leg 15 through the line 16 to the hot oil pump 17, from which it is forced through line 18 controlled by valve 19 into the charging line 3, in which line it commingles with the charging oil being fed directly to the heating coil and passes in suclh commingled state through the heating C01 The lighter vapors uncondensed in the dephlegmator 7 pass out from the dephlegmator through the line 20 in which is positioned a suitable throttle and pressure control valve 21 to the condensing coil 22 positioned in the condensing box 23. The distillate passes from the coil 22 to the receiver 24 which is of conventional type being provided with pressure regulating gas outlet 25 and liquid distillate draw-off means 26 as well as with suitable liquid level and pressure gauges.

Coming now to the more novel features of the invention a supply of a suitable chemical agent characterized by its ability to neutralize the corrosive effect upon the oil cracking apparatus of the sulphurous and other deleterious compounds contained in the oil is maintained in the tank A. From the tank A the chemical agent is passed through the line B controlled by the valve C to the pump D and from the pump D is forced through the line E controlled by the valve H into the oil charging line 3 or if the oil is being charged wholly or in part to the dephlegmator 7, the chemical agent may be forced either in whole or in part through the branch line F to unite with the oil advancing to the dephlegmator by suitably regulating valves G and H. A mixing chamber I is positioned in the charging line 3 slightly in advance of the point where the chemical agent is introduced to the charging line. This mixing chamber may be of any suitable construction. I have, however, shown a chamber in which is disposed a spiral bafiie adapted to cause the oil and the chemical agent introduced thereto to be agitated and to flow in a circuitous path through the mixing chamber, thus obtaining a thorough commingling of the chemical agent with the oil. A similar mixing chamber J is positioned in the branch line leading to the dephlegmator.

While other chemical agents are available for use in the process, good results have been obtained by the introduction of either ammonia or sodium hydroxide (commonly known as caustic soda) to the oil.

The process may be practiced in various ways and the quantity of the chemical agent introduced into the oil will depend on the character of the chemical solution employed. In using caustic soda of about 15 Baum gravity, exceptionally good results have been obtained by employing a proportion of gallons of caustic soda to 1,000 barrels of oil. By employing caustic soda having 25 Baum gravity and employing a continuous operation, good results have been obtained by injecting 20 pounds of the solution into the oil admitted to the process per hour.

What I claim as my invention is:

A continuous process for cracking hydro.- carbon oil, comprising subjecting the oil to a cracking temperature under a superatmos-' pheric pressure in a heating zone, delivering the heated oil to an enlarged reaction chamber, wherein conversion occurs, passing vapors evolved from the oil to a dephlegmating zone, wherein the insufliciency cracked fractions are condensed, commingling with the incoming charging oil for the process caustic soda, in an amount suflicient to neutralize the corrosive eifect of the sulphurous compounds contained in the oil and formed as a result of the cracking reaction, delivering the oil and commingled caustic soda to said dephlegmating zone, wherein it acts as a dephlegmating medium for the oil vapors, supplying reflux condensate, incoming charging oil and the commingled caustic soda to the heating zone.

LYMAN G. HUFF. 

